LAUSR

At the onset of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the role of synthetic biology (SynBio) as a fuel for the bioeconomy requires clarification of the terms typically adopted by this growing scientific-technical field. The concept of the chassis as a defined, reusable biological frame where non-native components can be plugged in and out to create new functionalities lies at the boundary between frontline bioengineering and more traditional recombinant DNA technology. As synthetic biology leaves academic laboratories and starts penetrating industrial and environmental realms regulatory agencies demand clear definitions and descriptions of SynBio constituents, processes and products. In this article, the state of the ongoing discussion on what is a chassis is reviewed, a non-equivocal nomenclature for the jargon used and a number of objective criteria recommended for distinguishing SynBio agents from traditional GMOs. The use of genomic barcodes uniquely identifis strongly advocated. Finally the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida is a focus for showcasing the roadmap that one environmental isolate may go through to become a bona fide SynBio chassis.